When evaluating LMSs, publishing companies, digital supplemental materials be sure you check how well they play with others! Can they work with your current LMS? Single login? Include metadata and categories? Passback data?

Key tips

Make sure vendor is IMS Global certified and if they build a common cartridge run it through the certification engine

What’s the difference between thin & thick/full common cartridge? Essentially in a thick/full common cartridge the publisher is giving you all the content while in a thin cartridge they’re giving you access but the content remains with the publisher (to protect intellectual property)

Carefully check what versions of LTI they’re using: version 1 versus 1.1, etc. because , not all passback data

IMS Global has a product directory for all tools that have gone through certification testing which tells you which version of LTI they have and how interoperable they are!

Benefits of membership: provide tools/templates to make ensuring interoperability easier, helps check which vendors are interoperable, know pricing & agreements with member districts which can be helpful during negotiations with publishers, provide expertise to setup LMS, Common Cartridges, QTI & LTIs to save cost in the long run.

I’m saving the best for last. While I learned a lot throughout this conference, the conversations I had with Nancy and others @IDEcorp gave me ideas that I can implement in my class almost immediately and will truly transform how my students learn.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the ideas in her book and what we discussed: Students are presented with an intriguing authentic problem, then, over the course of several weeks, students select activities from a list a teacher has compiled to help students develop key skills and try to solve the problem. A key component is an extensive rubric which guides the activities teachers create. The students are firmly in charge of their learning and are encouraged to work with their home team to find possible solutions and own their learning which frees up the teacher to be a facilitator and meet with groups of students.

Formulating a problem requires you to empathize with the challenges others face. What is the gap between the ideal situation and people’s current lived reality?

Explore/Brainstorm ideas that could help solve the problem

Ideate to create more concrete solutions

Sift through the ideas to determine if they’re feasible and what unintended consequences might be

If nothing is feasible, return to one of the 3 earlier steps

If there is a feasible idea, create a prototype

If the prototype is valid, advocate for it to an authentic audience (present your solution) and select a new problem

When creating a “help board” where students request assistance from the teacher or others, remember that not all students, especially the “honors” students, will want to publicly share that they need help. Consider a private sign-up (maybe via a Google Form)

The rubric should drive the activity list and it should be in language students understand so they can self-assess. The rubric should not be designed to make grading easier for the teacher but to communicate to students what they need to learn to solve an authentic problem

Teachers should act as a facilitator and assess true depth of understanding by asking probing questions. (e.g. What are you working on? Why? Why did you include those requirements in your proposal to amend the Constitution for people born outside the U.S. to be allowed to be President?)

Use the facilitation grid (a spreadsheet with key skills/objectives & a class roster) to track student progress and intervene as necessary. Use abbreviations to help you take notes while meeting with students throughout the period (e.g. M=mastery ; R=Review needed ; ML= mini lesson needed ; PT= Peer tutor–highest level of understanding)

About

I am a high school Social Studies & sheltered English teacher, instructional coach, and professional development facilitator. Like my students, I think and write more clearly when I’m writing for an authentic audience. Therefore, the purpose of this blog is to share my experiences & reflect on them to help me become a better teacher.

Arpan Chokshi
@mrchokshi

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